The Fourth of July is next week and Eastlake is getting ready for the annual onslaught of fireworks enthusiasts coming for the Gas Works show.

Officers with the Seattle Police Department say their plan for controlling traffic and parking in Eastlake on the Fourth is essentially unchanged from last year. You’ll find the basics on where not to park, when and where access is controlled, and how to get out of the neighborhood after the show is over on the attached PDF map.

The fireworks show starts a little after 10 p.m. and runs about 20 minutes.

Three points stand out:

• Take a bus to get here if you can. Parking is tight and it’s always easier to get in and out of the neighborhood on Metro. Buses will run on a holiday schedule,  which is the same as the usual Sunday schedule.
• The best time for guests to arrive in the evening is 6 to 7 p.m., says Officer Chris Kelley of the SPD. And the best time for them to leave is after 11 p.m. when the bulk of the traffic is gone.
• Cellphone coverage in Eastlake can be spotty to non-existent in the July 4 evening hours as thousands of people and their phones jam the area. You should have a backup plan (such as a landline or an Internet-based service) if you know you’ll need to make a call.

SPD will be limiting vehicle access to the area from Eastlake Ave. west to the water to try to control the number of people and cars in that part of the neighborhood. After the show, SPD’s goal is to move people and vehicles out of the neighborhood as quickly as possible. Things usually move fairly smoothly after the show but have some patience or wait until the traffic thins out.

If you have guests coming SPD will be checking to make sure they where they’re going and where they’ll park, especially in the evening. They don’t need a written invitation. The city will post notices on parking restrictions three days before the Fourth. The attached PDF also shows where not to park. (And yes, you will get ticketed and towed if you pick the wrong spot.)

More details:

Click here to see July 4 traffic/parking PDF.

Parking along Eastlake Avenue: It's tight. Parking is totally prohibited on both sides of Eastlake from Hamlin south to Newton from 11 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth. North of Hamlin, you won’t be able to park on the east side of the street. Warning signs will be up and officers will be out and ticketing people on the Fourth.

Pre-show limited access: The area west of Eastlake to the water will have limited access during the day (gray zone on the ). During the day, SPD officers will check with people attempting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park and are aware that they’ll be towed if they park illegally.

Traffic barricades along Eastlake: On the , you’ll see orange barricades marked on Newton and along Eastlake. Officers will start staffing those positions around 6:30 p.m. Around 7:30 to 8 p.m., they’ll begin to assess the traffic and around 8:30 p.m. they’ll close car access to that area until after the show. You can always walk or ride a bike in to this area. After the show, barricades move from the west side of Eastlake to the east (blue circles on the map).

I-5 off ramps: They’ll be closed from 9 to 11 p.m. The Mercer, Boylston and Roanoke ramps are all closed at this time by the State Patrol. The Patrol will reopen them as quickly as possible after the fireworks. The Lakeview overpass will also be closed to cars and pedestrians during the show.

Street flow after the show: Big changes after the show is over. The two blocks of Lynn from Eastlake to Boylston become a one-way street heading east. If you want to go south on I-5, get in the right-hand lane. Want to go north? Get in the left-hand lane. Harvard E. from Roanoke to Eastlake becomes a one-way street going north. The goal of SPD after the show is to move people out of the area, Officer Kelley says.

Who ya gonna call? In past years, SPD has told me that if you see someone parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a driveway, call the police before the fireworks begin and they'll take care of it. Don't call the East Precinct; just call 9-1-1 to report it.

Fireworks: They’re illegal inside the city limits. But, folks have them and, as the SPD has said in the past, they just don’t have enough personnel to respond to every incident. If fireworks are potentially causing a fire or a safety hazard, Kelley says to call 9-1-1 to report it and police will take care of it.

I’ll be posting the list of Eastlake businesses that are open on the Fourth later this week. If your business will be open, please send me details and I'll add you to the list.

It's just a bit over two weeks until the Fourth of July fireworks show brings thousands of people to Eastlake, Gas Works and Lake Union for the day. 

Officers from the Seattle Police Department say their plans for traffic control and pedestrian access in Eastlake remain essentially unchanged from last year. As SPD Officer Chris Kelley told a public meeting last year, their goal is to limit vehicle traffic west of Eastlake Avenue to the water to try to control the number of people in that area.

Kelley told the Eastlake meeting last year that the best time for Eastlake residents to have guests arrive was 6 to 7 p.m. and the best time to leave was after 11 p.m. That advice hasn't changed. The fireworks show begins about 10 p.m. and will last for 21 minutes, according to the show’s producers.

I'll write in more detail about traffic plans closer to the Fourth. For now, refer to last year's post for details. The attached PDF shows all the closures and no parking zones at a glance and can be printed or forwarded to your guests.

According to a press release from One Reel (also attached), producer of the Family 4th, new events this year will encourage "revelers to enjoy attractions around the entirety of Lake Union on the 4th of July." 

In addition to the fireworks and activities at Gas Works Park (music, food, kids events), the Wooden Boat Festival will be ending its five-day run at Lake Union Park at the south end of the lake. You'll be able to tour historic boats, build toy boats, take free boat rides and see a 24-hour boat-building challenge. There will also be live music. Get all the details at the Wooden Boat Festival's website.

New this year will be an interactive history tour of lake Union built around the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop. Participants will walk the loop with special game maps highlighting 15 History Trivia stops. Read the clues at each stop, write down your answers and turn in your map at either Gas Works or Lake Union parks to be entered to win two three-day Gold Passes to Bumbershoot.

Game maps will be available at the MOHAI booth in Lake Union Park, at the information booth at Gas Works and at Starbucks in Eastlake, Wallingford, Fremont and on Westlake Avenue. They'll also be available online closer to the event. (I'll post links when they go live.)

Starbucks, the presenting sponsor of the Family 4th, will be helping to clean up on Thursday, July 5. Volunteers will gather at Gas Work and Lake Union parks starting at 9 a.m. on July 5. There will be coffee, pastries and t-shirts. Theyll have all the supplies you need to help with the cleanup. Space is limited so register in advance at Starbucks' website.

I'll be posting a list of Eastlake merchants who will be open on the Fourth later in June as well as more detail on traffic plans. If your Eastlake business will be open, please let me know at curtmilton@comcast.net.

It’s going to be a busy weekend with several events scheduled that will impact traffic in Eastlake and the University District:

University District Street Fair: The Ave will be closed for the 42nd time for the annual street fair that is expected to attract 25,000 people. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Street closures will be from 2:30 a.m. Saturday to 2:30 a.m. Monday. Closed streets are: University Way from NE 50th to Campus Parkway, and NE 47th, NE 43rd, NE 42nd and NE 41st streets between 15th NE and Brooklyn NE. More information is available at the Street Fair’s website at udistrictstreetfair.org.

Seattle’s Best 15K: This foot race starts at Gas Works at 7 a.m. on Saturday and goes counter-clockwise around Lake Union. In Eastlake, runners will follow Fairview Ave. N and Fairview Ave. E., then go up Edgar to Yale Terrace, then up Hamlin and then back on to Eastlake. You can find a map here. More information can... (more)

UPDATE 6:50 P.M.: University Bridge has reopened and traffic is beginning to clear the area.

UPDATE: Protesters are on University Bridge. Check out Twitter feed at twitter.com/eastlakeave to see updates.
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An Occupy Seattle group has announced that they'll be moving this afternoon's march and rally from the Montlake Bridge to the University Bridge. The Seattle Department of Transportation says to expect traffic snarls.

The marchers will walk from Montlake Blvd. NE and NE Pacific near Husky Stadium to University Bridge starting at 4:30 p.m. SDOT says participants plan to block the bridge during the evening commute, which could mean snarled traffic until 6:30 or 7 p.m. Demonstrators may also block the Montlake Bridge.

SDOT says police will be on hand for crowd control but they warn that the traffic congestion may spread to the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge. Commuters are advised to take alternate routes.

For more on the rally, go to here

It's that time! The annual Fourth of July fireworks show at Lake Union is almost here.

Eastlake is bracing, as we always do, to receive our share of the expected 100,000 people who will be somewhere around the lake to see the holiday show.

The main question everyone always wants answered is: When should I tell my guests to arrive? When Seattle Police Officer Chris Kelley spoke at an Eastlake Community Council public meeting in June, his advice was that the best time to arrive is 6 to 7 p.m. (unless they're coming for the day) and the best time to leave is after 11 p.m. 

Printable map of parking/traffic restrictions

The area in the neighborhood with the tightest access and parking restrictions is from Eastlake west to the houseboats. If you live in that area, your guests won't need a written invite but they will need to know where they're going and where they're going to park. Officers will start to shut off vehicular access to that area around 8:30 p.m. 

Parking is always very tight on the Fourth. Parking along Eastlake Avenue is mostly prohibited on the Fourth. Several other streets have parking prohibitions. If you or your guests block driveways or fire hydrants or park in areas marked "no parking" for the day, you will be towed. Some residents and businesses will be renting parking in their lots. The best bet is probably to take a Metro bus.

After the fireworks are over, SPD concentrates on getting people out of the area. Some streets (Lynn and Harvard) become one-way heading away from Eastlake. Check the map attached to this story for more information. A downloadable PDF of the map is here.

For complete details on parking and access, check our previous post.

Other links that you may find useful on the Fourth:

• Our list of businesses that are open in Eastlake is here. 
• Information on the Family Fourth at Lake Union and the fireworks can be found on their website.
• Metro will be running on a Sunday schedule on the Fourth. To see if your route has trips that are canceled, check the Metro website.
• Starbucks will be hosting a clean-up day around Lake Union on Tuesday, July 5. Eastlake's Rogers Playfield will be one of the staging areas. If you'd like to take part, information and registration is here.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

It may still feel like October outside, but the Fourth of July really is almost upon us. And, as we do every year, Eastlake is bracing for the crowds of fireworks fanatics who descend on the neighborhood to see the Gas Works show.

Representatives from the Seattle Police Department say that their Eastlake traffic plan is unchanged from last year. The attached map shows what areas will be restricted, when and how, and where you and your guests can park. The map can be downloaded and printed to hand out to visitors.

SPD Officers Chris Kelley and Gerald House spoke to a public meeting sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council on Monday. They'll be working traffic and crowd control here on the Fourth. East Precinct Lt. Von Levandowski and Officer Kelley will be managing Eastlake traffic this year for the Fourth.

Kelley said the basic goal of their plans is to limit vehicle traffic west of Eastlake Avenue to the water to try to control the number of people in that area.

The best time to have guests arrive, Kelley said, was 6 to 7 p.m. And the best time to leave is after 11 p.m.

Visitors don't need a written invitation, but they do need to know where they're going and where they'll be parking. Notices of parking restrictions will be up three days before the Fourth. The map and the info below also explain how parking will work.

A total of 31 officers will be on traffic duty during the day in Eastlake with 23 more coming in the evening for the fireworks show. One change from last year: Due to budget constraints there won't be any police on bicycles in the neighborhood for the Fourth.

The attached map shows most of what you'll need to know. Here are the details:

• Parking along Eastlake Avenue: It's tight. Parking is totally prohibited on both sides of Eastlake from Hamlin south to Newton from 11 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth. North of Hamlin, you won’t be able to park on the east side of the street. Warning signs will be up and officers will be out and ticketing people on the Fourth.
• Pre-show limited access: The area west of Eastlake to the water will have limited access during the day (gray zone on the map). During the day, SPD officers will check with people attempting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park and are aware that they’ll be towed if they park illegally.
• Traffic barricades along Eastlake: On the map, you’ll see orange barricades marked on Newton and along Eastlake. Officers will start staffing those positions around 6:30 p.m. Around 7:30 to 8 p.m., they’ll begin to assess the traffic and around 8:30 p.m. they’ll close car access to that area until after the show. You can always walk or ride a bike in to this area. After the show, barricades move from the west side of Eastlake to the east (blue circles on the map).
• I-5 off ramps: They’ll be closed from 9 to 11 p.m. The Mercer, Boylston and Roanoke ramps are all closed at this time by the State Patrol. The Patrol will reopen them as quickly as possible after the fireworks. The Lakeview overpass will also be closed to cars and pedestrians for the show.
• Street flow after the show: Big changes after the show is over. The two blocks of Lynn from Eastlake to Boylston become a one-way street heading east. If you want to go south on I-5, get in the right-hand lane. Want to go north? Get in the left-hand lane. Harvard E. from Roanoke to Eastlake becomes a one-way street going north. The goal of SPD after the show is to move people out of the area, Officer Kelley said.
• Who ya gonna call? In past years, SPD has told me that if you see someone parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a driveway, call the police early before the fireworks begin and they'll take care of it. Don't call the East Precinct; just call 9-1-1 to report it.
• Fireworks: They’re illegal inside the city limits. But, folks have them and, as the SPD has said in the past, they just don’t have enough personnel to respond to every incident. If fireworks are potentially causing a fire or a safety hazard, Kelley says to call 9-1-1 to report it and police will take care of it.

Commencement exercises at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium on Saturday afternoon may impact traffic in Eastlake.

The actual commencement runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., but SDOT is warning that traffic snarls may be felt between noon and 6 p.m. SDOT's press release says: "Anticipate congestion on I-5 through the University District and on SR-520." Avoid the Montlake Bridge, SDOT advises, and take the I-5 Ship Canal or University bridges instead.

A total of 40,000 people are expected to attend the event. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

According to SDOT, Seattle Police will close Montlake Boulevard between NE Pacific and NE 45th streets to through traffic starting at 3:30 p.m. as traffic starts to move out of the Husky Stadium parking lot. This is similar to traffic routing for Husky football games. Cars that approach the area will be routed around it.

If you're trying to get to the UW Hospital northbound, go across Montlake Bridge and turn left onto NE Pacific. If you're coming southbound, take 15th Avenue... (more)

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: SDOT reports that the I-5 ramps at Mercer reopened at 5 a.m. Monday morning. The next scheduled closure of the ramps is June 17-20.

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UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first edited. Details of Metro bus rerouting have been confirmed.

Here comes the weekend and with it two street closures that will impact travel from Eastlake to other parts of town:

I-5 ramps at Mercer: The ramps will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday as work continues on the Mercer Corridor Project. Mercer will be closed from Westlake to Fairview, including access from Mercer to southbound Fairview that had been kept open during previous closures. Fairview will be closed for several blocks in the vicinity of Mercer.

Metro will be rerouting buses off Fairview and onto Eastlake for the duration of the closure. During the closure, Linda Thielke at Metro says that the reroutes would go until 5 a.m. Monday morning even if the ramps reopen early.

You can find out more about the project, including maps on alternate routes for this weekend, at the Mercer Corridor Project's website. The next closure is June 17-20.

University District Street Fair: The annual street fair is on in the University District this weekend. University Way will be closed between N.E. 50th and N.E. Campus Parkway on both Saturday and Sunday. Side streets on that route will also be closed. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Traffic both on land and in the water for Opening Day festivities on Saturday will mean delays for Eastlake residents trying to use the University and Montlake bridges.

Opening Day marks the beginning of Seattle's boating season. Events on Saturday (May 7) include the boat parade and crew races in the Montlake Cut. Crew races begin at 10:20 a.m. and the parade is at noon.

Expect delays on the University Bridge due to extra openings. And as for the Montlake Bridge: I wouldn't even try to drive through there until late afternoon.

Montlake exit ramps from 520 will be closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Seattle Yacht Club has a complete list of Opening Day events.

More Opening Day coverage can be found at Three Sheets Northwest.

Traffic around TOPS@Seward School appeared to be busier than usual this morning as parents who live outside the school's transportation zone drove their children to school to protest potential bus cuts.

At one point, northbound traffic on Boylston was backed up from Louisa to Lynn as buses and parents tried to make a left onto Louisa to drop off children. Annoyed drivers on Boylston could be heard honking their horns and at least one bus driver yelled at a driver he felt was holding up entrance to Louisa, which is the bus drop-off zone.

Parents of children who live outside the Washington Middle School transportation zone, which covers TOPS, had been asked to drive their children to school today to demonstrate what might happen if bus service outside that zone is dropped. The Seattle Public Schools have proposed eliminating bus service beyond the Washington Middle School transportation zone as way to save money.

Parents at the school say the cuts could impact the school's diversity by making it harder for children who live outside the TOPS' transportation zone to attend. They also say they are concerned about the traffic impact in Eastlake if parents of those students had to drive their children to school every day.

One parent, Ginger Segel, said she usually drives her children to school on Fridays. She thought today's traffic was busier than usual. She said she usually never has to wait to get onto Louisa to drop her kids.

Lucy Kee, who lives near Green Lake, dropped two children off. She said there are usually two or three cars waiting on Boylston to turn onto Louisa but she had never seen traffic backed up to Lynn. 

"My concern," she said, "is that there's no drop off zone here."

Wayne Duncan, another parent, said that the school district had implied there would always be transportation for TOPS students but "that promise is being taken away."

Parent Sheila Anderson said the TOPS parents will be reporting to the school board on how this morning's event went and will be engaging the board in a discussion about continuing the bus service.

UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Details on street closures have been added.

The UW Huskies will be playing a rare weekday evening game when they take to the field during the height of rush hour on Thursday. Kickoff for the game against UCLA is at 5 p.m.

Traffic impacts are expected in the University District, Montlake and beyond. We'll probably be feeling some of it in Eastlake. 

Montlake Boulevard will be closed from NE Pacific to NE 44th from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Montlake Bridge will be closed to marine traffic (it won't open to let boats through) from 3 to 7 p.m. and 8 to 10 p.m. The University Bridge will also be closed to marine traffic from 3 to 7 p.m.

Metro will be rerouting some buses that go through the UDistrict and Montlake, starting at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. To find out more details or check what's up with your bus route, go to Metro's website.

Metro will also be running a temporary shuttle from 2:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday that will loop through the UW campus and... (more)

UPDATE: This post has been changed since first published. A video has been added. This was first posted at 11:35 p.m. on Sunday. 

The fireworks are over for another year and Eastlake's streets are busy as everyone heads home.

The wet weather finally ended several hours before the 10:15 p.m. show began. Thousands of people crowded Gas Works Park and the streets, rooftops, decks and docks of Eastlake to get a look at the show.

There were official fireworks on the barge in Lake Union and unofficial fireworks on most streets, many of which were still going on an hour after the big show ended.

I stood with a large and appreciative crowd at the corner of E. Lynn and Fairview E. The view was great, the crowd was well-behaved and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

People are now filing out of the area west of Eastlake, looking for a bus or taxi or trying to find their cars.

See you next year!

Good morning and happy Fourth of July!

Lady Liberty is inflated atop Kite Hill at Gas Works Park and the forecast, while it won't be as warm as last year, isn't bad: partly cloudy, highs in the upper 60s. If it rains, it looks like it won't be much more than a sprinkle. Maybe.

Here's a wrap-up of our Fourth of July coverage:

• Where to park and drive in Eastlake: Check our map and details on traffic and parking restrictions to see where you can and can't go. Have guests coming over? Tell them to get here by 6-7 p.m. and make sure they have a place to park or they're taking the bus.
• What's open? Our list shows what's open in Eastlake today and what hours they'll be open.
• Cleaning up after the fireworks: Join Starbucks Monday morning at 10 at Rogers Playfield to help clean up the neighborhood after tonight's fireworks. Starbucks is providing the coffee, lunch and t-shirts. For more info or to register, go to their website. You don't have to register but doing so helps them make sure they have enough food, coffee and shirts for everyone.

Have a happy Fourth of July!

The good news regarding the Fourth of July (Sunday) in Eastlake is that things haven’t changed much from last year.

As we reported in April, the parking and traffic restrictions will be pretty much the same as they were last year. The only big change in the Seattle Police Department’s traffic control is to make E. Newton the southern line of restrictions and closure. Officers will be posted along Newton at Eastlake, Yale, Minor and Fairview to control access.

The attached map gives you the traffic control plan on a single page. Here are the more in-depth details:

The big question: What do I tell people who are coming to my place to watch the fireworks, which start a little after 10 p.m.?

Last year, Officer Mark Wong of the SPD told the Eastlake Community Council: “I’d get down here before 6 to 7 p.m.” After that, the SPD starts to tighten up access in the area west of Eastlake and it can be difficult to impossible to drive in and park. 

Your visitors won’t need a written invitation, but they will need to know where they’re going and where they’re going to park.

Other things you’ll need to know:

Traffic/parking map: Click to see a larger version.

• Parking along Eastlake: There won’t be much. Parking is totally prohibited on both sides of Eastlake from Hamlin south to Newton from 11 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth. North of Hamlin, you won’t be able to park on the east side of the street. Warning signs are already up and officers will be out and ticketing people on the Fourth.
• Pre-show limited access: The area west of Eastlake to the water will have limited access during the day (gray zone on the map). During the day, SPD officers will check with people attempting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park and are aware that they’ll be towed if they park illegally.
• Traffic barricades along Eastlake: On the map, you’ll see orange barricades marked on Newton and along Eastlake. Officers will start staffing those positions around 6:30 p.m. Around 7:30 to 8 p.m., they’ll begin to assess the traffic and around 8:30 p.m. they’ll close car access to that area until after the show. You can always walk or ride a bike in to this area. After the show, barricades move from the west side of Eastlake to the east (blue circles on the map).
• I-5 off ramps: They’ll be closed from 9 to 11 p.m. (see photo). Mercer, Boylston and Roanoke are all closed at this time by the State Patrol. The Patrol will reopen them as quickly as possible after the fireworks. The Lakeview Overpass will also be closed for the show.
• Street flow after the show: Big changes after the show is over. The two blocks of Lynn from Eastlake to Boylston become a one-way street heading east. If you want to go south on I-5, get in the right-hand lane. Want to be north? Get in the left-hand lane. Harvard E. from Roanoke to Eastlake becomes a one-way street going north.
• Who ya gonna call? Officer Wong says if you see someone parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a driveway, call the police early ("The sooner before the 4th of July evening gets under way, the better," he writes in an e-mail) and they'll take care of it. Don't call the East Precinct. Instead,
• Fireworks: They’re illegal inside the city limits. But, folks have them and, as the SPD said last year, they just don’t have enough personnel to respond to them. If fireworks are potentially causing a fire or safety hazard, police urge you to call 9-1-1 and report it.

If you're planning on going to Gas Works, the SPD has a few tips at their blog.

That’s it for now. I’ll add updates if I receive any.

Expect some traffic snarls this weekend if you're heading to Fremont, the University District or University Village. These probably won't affect Eastlake but you never know:

• Fremont Solstice Fair and Parade: You have to hope it's dry on Saturday so the body paint won't run all over the streets of Fremont. The Solstice Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The parade, with its famous naked bike riders, is at noon on Saturday. Street closures are within the following boundaries: 1st Avenue N.W. on the west; N. 36th Street on the north; Fremont Avenue N. on the east; N. 34th Street and N. Canal Street on the south. Streets will be closed starting at 1 p.m. today (Friday) and won't be open until midnight on Sunday.
• N.E. 45th Street viaduct closure: The western end of the N.E. 45th Street viaduct is closed so it can be replaced. It won't reopen until September. Be aware of the closure if you're trying to get to University Village or Sand Point. Click here to see a photo...

The Seattle Department of Transportation advises that there will be heavy traffic in the vicinity of Husky Stadium from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday during UW commencement exercises.

SDOT is anticipating as many as 40,000 people will attend commencement. They advise drivers to expect "heavier traffic than usual on I-5 through the University District and on SR-520."

At 3:30 p.m., Seattle Police will close part of Montlake Boulevard between N.E. Pacific and N.E. 45th streets so cars can leave the stadium parking lots. It will be similar to what they do after a Husky football game, SDOT says. Traffic will be detoured around the closure and drivers are urged to avoid Montlake Bridge if possible.

And, starting next Monday, the N.E. 45th Street viaduct will be closed until Sept. 10 so SDOT can replace the west end of the aging structure. More information is available on SDOT's website.

The City of Seattle has made 38 new traffic cams around town available on its website, including a cam at Eastlake Avenue E. and Harvard Ave. E.

As you can see from the photo, the camera shows the view from the intersection of Eastlake and Harvard looking north toward the University Bridge.

The Seattle Department of Transportation says in a press release:

The public is using information from the cameras to help make travel decisions, and SDOT traffic engineers are using the information to identify locations where they can make changes to improve traffic flow.

All of the City's cameras are located on its Travelers Map website at http://web5.seattle.gov/travelers/.

This month, SDOT also unveiled eight new Dynamic Message Signs that provide traffic info. And, they'll add a few more cameras, including one at Broadway and Roy, by August, although there won't be any more in Eastlake.

Click to see a larger version.

For a while, it looked like we might not have to plan for the Fourth of July fireworks on Lake Union.

But, thanks to Dave Ross and a lot of generous local businesses, the annual celebration will be on. And with it comes the annual day-of traffic restrictions in Eastlake.

Office Mark Wong of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct gave us an early look at traffic plans for this year. The SPD's plans are subject to change, of course, but for now they look very similar to last year's (see attached map).

The only major difference at this point is on E. Newton. Last year, police restricted traffic at Fairview and Eastlake on Newton and also at Yale Place E. near Azteca. This year, Office Wong says, they'll drop the Yale Place station and instead have officers restricting access along Newton at Fairview, Minor, Yale and Eastlake.

There won't be any parking along much of Eastlake Avenue on July 4. During the day, the area west of Eastlake will have limited access. Officers will be checking with anyone wanting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park. Car access to that area will be cut off a couple of hours before the show starts.

After the show, police traffic barricades move to the eastern side of Eastlake Avenue. Lynn Street becomes a one-way heading east. And the Roanoke and Boylston freeway ramps, which were closed before the show, will be reopened.

Fears last year of massive crowds coming to see the Lake Union show since it was the only game in town failed to materialize. My informal survey of traffic control found it to be working fairly well both before and after the show.

What did you think? Any suggestions or ideas? I know the SPD is very interested in hearing what Eastlake has to say about this event. Post your comments below.

We'll have more coverage of July 4 plans as the date draws near.

Our video of last year's July 4 in Eastlake is below:

Casey McNerthney of SeattlePI.com answers a reader's question about how to proceed when going eastbound through the E. Roanoke/Harvard E. intersection

This is the intersection just east of the I-5 overpass. The reader is confused by the directional green arrow traffic lights: Two of the arrows point east, one points north.

What to do?

Casey has the answer here.

The Huskies will be playing the University of California Bears on Saturday afternoon. Streets are expected to be affected between 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.

You know the drill: Montlake, 520, streets through the University District: All full of cars and buses heading to the game or leaving the game. University Village: Don't even think of going there as the game is getting out. And good luck parking there during the game!

I have to say: I came by Husky Stadium last Saturday as people were entering for the Apple Cup and I was impressed. Traffic was flowing fairly quickly and things seemed well-organized. So, it doesn't always have to be a nightmare.

If you travel through Montlake in the morning on your way to school or work, be warned that the memorial procession for slain Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton will have a major impact on your commute Friday morning, Nov. 6.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is expecting 1,000 to 1,500 vehicles to leave the University of Washington at 9 a.m. and travel to the memorial service at KeyArena.

The route will go across the Montlake Bridge, then up along 24th Avenue E. and 23rd Avenue E. before turning onto E. Madison, E. Pine, Broadway and then down Denny Avenue to Seattle center (see PDF of the route linked to this post).

The procession is expected to last for three hours. According to an SDOT media advisory:

"... (O)ther traffic will not be allowed on the route and will not be allowed to cross it, including pedestrians and bicyclists. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers to expect severe congestion near its path."

No parking will be allowed along the route.

The state... (more)

I asked Lt. Deanna Nollette, second watch commander for the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct and the person in charge of Eastlake's traffic on the Fourth of July, how she thought the holiday went. She thinks it went well:

"We could not have asked for a better result.  No significant police issues, no injuries, no significant arrests.  Even the traffic plan seemed to go better then expected.  We had the East Precinct 'back to normal' in record time."

She'd like to hear if people have thoughts or concerns or ideas about how the SPD could make things run better on the Fourth. Comment on the open thread I put up on Sunday and I'll send her the link.

What do you think? Were the crowds on the Fourth of July as nutty as you'd feared? Or were things OK? Or somewhere in between?

Sound off in the comments on this post. I know the Seattle Police Department wants to hear what we thought and what we experienced so they can plan better for next year.

One thought I had: Maybe access on Fairview Ave. E. needs to be restricted earlier than 6:30 p.m. It's a narrow street and there were lots of people walking along it, heading for a favorite viewing spot, plus a number of cars trying to make their way through. There aren't sidewalks there and it can be cramped and potentially dangerous. But that's just my thought.

Go for it! What did you think? What worked? What didn't? What should be changed?

And, as you'd suspect, it's going to be even tougher than their Eastlake plan.

Traffic restrictions in the area north of Gas Works Park go into effect at noon. There will be designated access points for residents and guests. After 6 p.m., the access points move one block farther out. No parking in the area for those wanting to watch the fireworks.

And the Seattle Police Department will require guests visiting friends inside the restricted area to have invitations showing the address they are headed to.

The complete SPD blog post is here.

UPDATE: MyNorthwest.com has a post with a map showing the restricted zone.

Equinox crane will be leaving this weekend.

Two traffic-related events to keep in mind this weekend:

Eastlake Avenue E. will be closed from 5 a.m. Saturday until about 4 a.m. Sunday between East Galer and East Garfield streets.

The closure will allow removal of the construction crane from the Equinox condo project on the east side of the street. The Seattle Department of Transportation says the sidewalk on the west side of the street will remain open. Should make for some traffic snarls at that end of Eastlake.

Also on Saturday, the University of Washington is expecting over 40,000 people to converge on Husky stadium between noon and 6 p.m. for graduation ceremonies.

The SDOT warns that streets around the stadium and the roads leading to I-5 and 520 will be jammed.

Montlake Boulevard will be closed from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. between N.E. Pacific Street and N.E. 45th Street to allow cars to leave the event. The SDOT says, "Motorists needing to access the University of Washington Hospital during this time should take 15th Avenue NE to NE Pacific Street; and those traveling northbound on Montlake will be allowed to cross the Montlake Bridge and then turn left at Pacific Street."

You have been warned.